I’m going to make this into business cards and pass them out to anyone who dares ask me “Why do you always wear black?”

I’m not goth and no one died. Now stop bothering me.

For all those harsh critics, opposed to the debut of Hedi’s Saint Laurent collection…

Behold!

Gwen looking AMAZING in THAT suit!

Swooonnnnn.

Images via vogue.com

Dear Santa,

Can I still qualify for a gift if I was somewhere in the middle between Naughty and Nice?

If so, these would be killer.

Kisses,
LL

Ps. Just in case, they’re Balenciaga Spring Summer 2013 ;)

Well played.

Amanda Seyfried in Balenciaga.

That is all.

My whirlwind Thanksgiving weekend continued when I woke up at 4am on Monday to board a plane to LAX. If you know anything about me, it’s that I’m not a morning person. Ok, I am a morning person, but more like a 10am type. So naturally when my alarm went off and it was pitch black, I thought it was a practical joke.

But it was no joke. I had the awesome opportunity to go and cover the Jeremy Scott x SmartCar collaboration that was taking place in L.A. and from the minute I stepped off the plane, it was a jam-packed itinerary.

Despite the massive knot in my neck from sitting middle seat for 6 hours (east to west coast travel is the worst!), I was revving to go. I quickly switched from NYC airplane wear (all black, of course!) to a mini leopard-print dress and leather jacket. I figured the print was more Jeremy Scott.

I arrive at Milk Studios around 2:30 and find myself jamming out to Rihanna’s new album blasting in the lobby. Zero complaints and “Jump” is now my favorite on the album. I wait a spell and gather my thoughts: Do I have my questions? Check. Does my recorder have batteries? Check. Do I know how to work the recorder? Questionable, but we’ll improvise.

I’m escorted into the massive studio that doubles as a photo shoot room, where both the SmartCar and Jeremy Scott himself are waiting for me. Jeremy is that cool kid you always want to be friends with. Instantly he greets me and I feel like we’re friends reuniting for coffee and a catch up. He’s wearing an amazing coat comprised of tons of unique and colorful patches (color being the key word!) Suddenly I question whether I should have worn something brighter only to realize that I own nothing brighter so leopard will have to do.

We sit and chatted…first the standard questions: how did the collab come about, what inspires you, why SmartCar..

But the fun part for me was diverting from the normal set of questions and just talking to Jeremy…about Paris (where he had dinner with Kanye), the music he listens to-“all of my girls, Rihanna, M.I.A, Lana, Katy…” and Harlem! Living in Harlem, I felt the need to share that there is a store called AtmosNYC that specializes in curating the most exclusive shoes: Nike, Adidas, Air Jordans, you name it. Every weekend, there is a line around the block of sneaker aficionados that just HAVE to have the latest kicks, and of those are Jeremy Scott for Adidas. He was literally so thrilled to hear that and genuinely appreciative of his loyal fan base. He’s actually been trying to make his way to Harlem but the only time he’s ever in the city is for Fashion Week which means the majority of his time is spent in the studio designing or at the tents for the runway.

Needless to say, we have a tentative date for chicken and waffles at Amy Ruth’s next time he’s in town.

And of course our chat couldn’t end there. Being a total photo booth junkie and a avid user of PocketBooth (the incredible iphone app), he satisfied my craving by indulging me in a photo booth session that he art directed. I think the pictures speak for themselves.

A brilliant designer and all around great guy!

Scope my interview over at Harper’s Bazaar, and be sure to catch his collection in February. He may have let slip that he was heavily influenced by the car so expect lots of white, and maybe some shiny chrome? One can only hope!

I’m so late to the game on this one, but better late than never.

EPIC!

Got to see this fabulous face this past weekend—it had been too long!

My fave girl Lisa, paid me a much overdue visit in the city and it was a totally rad time! Between vintage shopping, eating turkey leftovers, perusing Anthropologie for inspiration, and being total tourists in Rockefeller, it was the best 48 hours EVER.

I met this gem a while back after falling in love with her Sabretooth ring. To catch you guys up, she is an incredible artist/designer and makes up one half of the amazing duo behind LAS Jewelry. The other half? Her hubby Dan! And although her little boy Jet isn’t designing just yet—too busy playing with toys!—I’m gonna throw him into the mix too! Anyways, I remember the ring being sold out on the Oaknyc website so I went out on a limb and wrote Lisa a personal note saying I loved it and asked when it would be available. In less than a day, I had a note from Lisa herself saying she was going to be in town and would love to come by the office. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Since then I’ve had two sabretooth rings and they’ve BOTH been stolen, but hopefully the thieves are at least wearing it proudly. Although, one of the rings was stolen at work so if I ever see someone with it on…well, there will be words exchanged! ;)

Really excited about this collection and Lisa even said they’re cooking up new ideas—so come February we could see a new batch of amazing rings, necklaces and cuffs! Check out their current treasure trove at lasjewelry.com.

Pics above: the two Lisa’s, eating NYC peanuts!; the Sabretooth ring that refuses to stay in my possession; images from LAS Jewelry’s lookbook

These past couple weeks have been crazy, but in a very good way. I started the Thanksgiving weekend in Philly by having the honor of co-hosting a lovely event with Bela Shehu of the covetable NINObrand.

You may recall my previous post on NINO, an ode to the brand. (Ok, maybe more like a love letter where I proclaim my absolute adoration!) In any case, I was truly humbled to be a part of this magical night. Set in Rittenhouse Square and with Studio:Christensen as the backdrop, the evening was a magical night. All of NINO’s fans and collectors came out to congratulate Bela and her success on a truly amazing collection. Clothes were tried on, art was displayed and admired, Bazaar magazines were read, drinks were had and laughs were shared.

I was asked recently why I support NINO and honestly, the answer is simple: it was love at first sight. I immediately recognized that this is a collection that fits in with my aesthetic and whose vision I am totally aligned with. Bela is a formidable force who has such talent and knows how to uphold the integrity of her brand without ever sacrificing her ideals. And it’s this reason that I am so smitten. In this industry, it’s very easy to “sell out”—to change the construction of your clothes, alter the materials you use, lower your age demographic, all in an attempt to get the approval of the masses. But NINO doesn’t need the masses because it’s already garnered the respect and admiration of true fashionistas—those who recognize that quality and construction rank far above the quick fix of “fast fashion.”

It’s rare these days to find a designer that covets a more intimate designing and shopping experience, and NINO is one such brand. Not only are the materials from local sources, consumers who purchase NINO have the pleasure of getting one-on-one face time with Bela—getting the garments just right as she fits them in her exquisite collection. This is something reminiscent of 1947 when Dior was showcasing the New Look…and something that has been seriously missing in 2012.

All in all, it was a night to celebrate Bela and NINO’s achievements. (And a welcomed opportunity to play dress up!)

XO

Images above: me with the gorgeous Bela (photo by Alfred for Philly.com); the stunning NINO dress I got to wear (me in color! GASP!), the art at Studio:Christensen (photo by Dave Smith of David Hilliard Photography); the scene inside (photo by Dave Smith of David Hilliard Photography); side profile of the dress. <3

In light of the crazy subway accident that went down in NYC the other day (Hey Post, you’re horrible!)…here’s a pleasant subway moment between an adorable woman and Hova.

This has been on constant rotation since my friend introduced me to it a week ago. Brilliant!

Solange, the beat, the style, the video…all in perfect harmony.

Fun note—Solange was in my security line at LAX airport. Even more stunning in person, if that’s even possible!